Texas Rangers Ace Pérez Gains 'Control' for Venezuela Against Dominican Republic

Texas Rangers starter Martín Pérez overcame a rough start to dominate the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic opener.

Texas Rangers starter Martín Pérez didn’t have the best start in Team Venezuela’s World Baseball Classic opener against the Dominican Republic. The first two batters got hits, leaving Pérez and his country down 1-0.

That was the extent of the Dominican damage against the All-Star left-hander.

Pérez found his groove in a superb outing, allowing just two more hits and no more runs in 3 1/3 innings against the star-studded Dominican Republic lineup. He also worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the third.

“I was able to control the game a little better,” Pérez said after the rough start. “I tried to control my emotions, and that’s very important. I started executing my pitches and to do what I like to do, that is to locate my pitches well on the corners.

“And that was key in the game to pitch the way I did. I believe that as a team we did a great job. The pitchers attacked the zone. We did our job, and the hitters also responded.”

Team Venezuela beat the Dominican Republic 5-1 on Saturday and is 2-0 in Pool D play going into Monday’s game Nicaragua.

Pérez also credited catcher Salvador Pérez of the Kansas City Royals for helping settle him down and get back on track.

“I’m mature enough to make adjustments quickly,” Martín Pérez said. “I was staying in the present. What I did just to minimize the damage, I located my pitches. Salvador and I had a plan. I just wanted to locate my pitches, and that was something that was natural. We applied the game plan, and that’s why we had accomplished good results.”

Pérez enjoyed plenty of good results in his return to Texas last year, leading the pitching staff with a 12-8 record and career-best 2.89 ERA. He earned his first All-Star Game appearance and is being counted to be a leader this season alongside Jacob deGrom, who made his spring debut Monday in a minor league game.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who said Pérez did a “great job” in his WBC opener, is counting on the lefty this season.

“He can log innings – very good innings – and that’s huge,” Bochy said. “You know you have to have somebody like that on your staff. I think he had that leadership quality you like in the clubhouse, just the way he carries himself.

“He has fun playing. That’s what you love about him and it’s going to get contagious in the dugout when he’s around.”

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